It was the passing of a dear friend to overdose that was the catalyst for Jade Carne’s own recovery. Sitting in a prison cell, unable to attend her friend’s funeral, Jade made a commitment to recovery.
“I felt no hope there in prison, but I ultimately chose to get sober to honour my close friend,” shared Jade, who is an Addiction Counsellor at Renascent Graham Munro Centre (Munro Centre).
Like many, early on in recovery Jade faced challenges adapting to her new life.
“I was still trying to be the person I was before, but without the substances. This brought me to old behaviors, especially with relationships” shares Jade candidly. “I had a negative experience early on (in recovery) which caused me to sit down and evaluate who I was.”
Jade relied on the collective wisdom of the Twelve Step community to help her; and what she learned about herself was eye-opening. “I had to remove my ego, I had to connect with other people, and I had to step out of my comfort zone, to see who I was,” said Jade, who attended Twelve-Step meetings religiously until “I found comfort in my own skin.”
Now, nearly four years into her recovery, Jade has hit a bit of a stride. In her role at Munro Centre, she helps other women and people who identify as women find recovery.
“Watching the clients grow is the most fulfilling part of my role. I remember attending the graduation of the very first client I admitted, and it was awesome to see,” shares Jade. “People come into treatment and they are down on themselves. Watching the transformation – seeing them come to terms with who they are and develop self-worth – is absolutely amazing.”
Jade admits that she finds joy in learning about clients who remain in recovery after leaving treatment, and is thrilled to be a part of every clients’ journey.
“I am proud of not giving up. Five years ago, if you told me that I would be a full-time counsellor, I probably would have laughed in your face. I was most proud to have my son, sister, and mom at my graduation April 2022,” said Jade, who graduated from an Addiction and Mental Health Worker program. “My mom always hoped for the best and to have her there was incredible.”
